Jovk
On the north-western edge of the Segmentum Ultima lies Jovk, a hostile but nonetheless inhabited work. Home to a populace of hardy, skilled workers and their decadent rulers, Jovk is a world one is born on, not a world that is chosen. History As the Great Crusade reached Jovk, they found its population utterly defiant. Then led by a council of kings, Jovk's leaders refused to bow their knee before the Emperor. Subsequently, the Imperial Army attempted to land on the planet and take it by force, assisted by a force of Word Bearers. However, Jovk's catastrophic weather and the defense put up by the native military allowed them reap a bloody toll from the Emperor's forces while suffering minimal losses on their own. Eventually, after several failed attempts to establish a foothold on the planet's surface, the Emperor decided to deploy the Iron Warriors, his masters of siege. They deployed in vast numbers under the cover of orbital bombardment and while facing thousands of casualties, they managed to get a foot in the metaphorical door. Establishing a beachhead, they next moved against the lofty underground fortresses of their enemies, conquering one after another and repaying their losses tenfold. Eventually, the leaders of Jovk attempted to make amends with a full surrender, but the Iron Warriors were intent on teaching a lesson. They razed every last fortress and executed every last king before being satisfied. In the aftermath, a new system for society and government was introduced to 'let every man, woman and child of Jovk know their place'. Under the watchful eyes of a small Iron Warrior occupation force, the reconstruction began and some structures on the planet have buried the Iron Warriors' mark under thick layers of ferrocrete. Said force left after Perturabo's siding with Horus threw the galaxy into war and Jovk was considered as lacking in strategic value, not justifying its defense against imperial retaliation. Geography Strong tectonic activity and the resulting volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have shaped Jovk into a planet of steep mountains reaching dozens of kilometers into the sky, contrasted and intersected by equally deep ravines and canyons. The surface is far from stable, however, as these hazards have not subsided, occasionally reshaping entire tracts of land. Settlements are usually constructed partially into mountainsides, using the planet's overabundance of vertical surface. Locations *'Mira Pandev:' The planet's capital and consequently seat of government, the Administratum as well as the Ecclesiarchy. *'Mira Veta:' Jovk's largest, most populated city. The military headquarters as well as numerous academies for officers dominate its social life. *'Mira Stojan:' Technically not located on the planet, the station supporting an orbital elevator acts as the planet's main space port. Due to its crucial role, it is guarded heavily by a defense fleet and a full company of the Jovk Tunel Volci. *'Mira Nezno:' Seat of a Schola Progenium of the Ecclesiarchy, used to train Tempestus Scions in the extreme conditions of the planet. Climate Jovk's elliptic orbit around its star leads to wildly fluctuating temperatures and weather throughout the year, especially in the equatorial zones. Thunderstorms and hurricanes form over the large, salt-rich oceans and can last for weeks, while wind speeds can reach several hundred kilometers per hour. With an ozone-poor atmosphere, prolonged stays under sunlight can be lethal for off-worlders and Jovkians alike, as generations of underground life have produced a light skinned population more at home in tunnels than under an open sky. Flora And Fauna Jovk's particular natural conditions have led to a number of unique and highly adapted lifeforms inhabiting the planet along with the human populace. Flora Soil has little opportunity to build on the flanks of mountains, even less so with strong winds permanently scattering it. What little soil manages to gather usually does so at the bottom of valleys, canyons or ravines, nurturing small forests of short, sturdy trees and thick grass. Underground, a rich variety of fungi grows, fed by equally buried water reservoirs, springs and rivers. A total of nearly 440.000 species have been recorded, the edible ones providing the staple food for Jovk's population. Notable Species * Drvo: The most common tree species on Jovk grows to roughly 4 meters at most and features thick, strong roots able to penetrate the hard, rocky ground. With a thick, wrinkled bark and fleshy, broad leaves, it has adapted to salvage as much liquid as possible. * Pecurki: Mushrooms growing to a size of 1 meter and to weights of up to 20 kilograms, providing a nutritious, cheap source of food. Too common and too bland in taste to qualify as a delicacy for off-worlders. * Dur: With hallucinogenic effects, the roots of this mushroom are the source for a cheap, widespread drug of the same name. It has been legalized as it proved impossible to prevent its illegal manufacturing. Fauna Similar to plants, animals face more than one challenge on Jovk. And similar to them, most of the species found on the planet have retreated underground in order to avoid the destructive weather and secure themselves a reliable source of food. Ranging from the gentle, livestock Krava Mol to the carnivorous, highly dangerous Strâsna Volf, the wildlife found in the damp tunnels and caves of Jovk includes mammals, insects, lizards and arachnids. Most of them feed on each other as much as unwary humans traversing their domain. Most of the species found in the darkness of the tunnels are either partially or completely blind, featuring alternative methods of perception. Notable Species * Krava Mol: quadrupedal, blind mammals, the Krava Mols are a source of meat and milk. Bred in huge numbers to provide a secondary source of food complimenting the Pecurki. Those raised in captivity are notorious for walking off ledges and out of caverns if left to their own devices, as their natural instincts have deteriorated over generations of breeding. * Strâsna Volf: Carnivores, hexapedal and blind, they stalk caverns and tunnels in the constant search for prey. Using a natural sonar, a potent sense of smell and growing up to six meters in length, they are feared by miners and soldiers as the 'kralot na tunelite', the 'king of the tunnels'. Culture Inhabitants of Jovk are often perceived as arrogant on other worlds. This roots in this sense of pride is drawn from inhabiting a world so hostile that most would leave it on the first chance. The lethal weather and extreme temperatures have shaped every aspect of their life and so they perceive those living on more habitable worlds as weak or 'bledo' ('pale'), a derogative term originally developed by the planet's working class. It refers to the rich mine owners living in the underground cities, as they did not have to leave the security of their homes to face the harsh Jovkian weather. Resources are precious on Jovk and the access to them consequently restricted. To regulate distribution, a system of social rankings has been established. One's social rank depends on productivity, time served in the military, contributions to society, discoveries in science or simple improvements in workflow. The higher one's social rank, the more access they have to resources such as food, water, clothes or luxury articles. On the other hand, the amount of assigned work directly relates to one's social rank, generally the former being more the lower the latter is. This includes dangerous works like construction and repair jobs outside of the underground shelters or the exact opposite, excavating new tunnels, caves and securing living space. One bears the risk of being blown down a canyon by strong winds or electrocution by lightning, while the other risks cave-ins, suffocation, the release of toxic gases or falling prey to one of the many predators lurking in the darkness. Social Ranks While every newborn starts at the same rank, rich or successful parents aren't prevented from supporting their child to climb the social ladder more quickly. * Nîsto: The lowest possible rank, reserved for criminals or those who fail to advance past the Eden rank before the age of 30. Jovk's assigned to Nîsto face a number of fates, from imprisonment in working camps and disownment, over forced conscription and serfdom, to the death sentence. * Nula: The rank assigned by birth. This grants a basic amount of support, either given directly, to orphans, or added to the amount of resources the parents receive. Also grants a basic level of education, provided by public academies, accessible at the age of 3 and lasting to the age of 16, at which the rank expires. * Eden: Reached with the completion of the 12th and expires with the 30th year of living. Grants the right to join the lowest ranks of military, navy or labor guilds. Upon ascending the hierarchy of those specific organizations, the rank is replaced with one specific to those careers. For the majority of Jovki, these career-related ranks are the ones they hold for the rest of their life. * Noz: Soldiers, regardless of their individual rank, are assigned this rank once they advance beyond the basic training as recruits. Grants a wider access to food, water and living. Also enables citizens to apply for marriage and parenthood. Individual ranks in the hierarchy of the military enable greater access to resources. * Krila: Members of the navy are pooled in this rank. Resources awarded for this rank are generally lower than those for Noz-ranked, as navy members leave Jovk in most cases and rarely return. * Lopata: Workers, despite individually different positions in their guild's hierarchy, are all assigned this rank. They receive wider access to food, water and living as well as a less restricted right to produce offspring. Additionally, workers' life insurances hold higher sums than those of soldiers. Technically, factory and mine owners are also assigned this rank, though their rank within their respective guilds sets them apart from the broad masses. * Igla: If one manages to successfully apply for a higher field of education before the age of 16, their age is shifted to Igla. Students can choose a variety of fields, from science, art or politics. * Lupa: While scientists are granted a generous amount of resources to fuel their research, they have to thoroughly document their necessity and how they are applied to their concrete subject of research. Additionally, their private access may be restricted if they fail to produce promised results, which may be combined with a demotion in rank. * Strana: While hardly the most rewarded rank to reach, Jovk's artists have achieved some renown from collectors throughout the Imperium. Particularly their meticulous stone works and luminescent paintings have attracted some nobles and Rogue Traders to visit Jovk and perpetuate themselves with a bust or a portrait. The non-material value of their work, however, leaves artists with a only a very small chance to be granted the permission for parenthood. * Glavata: Bureaucrats, scribes, clerks and politicians all share this particular title, grasping virtually the most power on Jovk. The pinnacle of this group is the planetary Governor, or 'Kral na Glavite', 'King of Heads', as they mainly rule over other intellectuals and similar ilk. The core pillar of ascending on the social ladders it the military, the Jovk Combat Engineers, or 'Tunel Volci', 'Tunnel Wolves' named after the eponymous Jovkian predator. Like other species, whether animal or plant, it is named in the original language of Jovk, Jazik, rather than the later implemented Imperial Gothic. Notable Inhabitants *'Zaharinka Gjorgiev:' The current planetary governor, natively called 'Caricata', has inhabited the title since the early age of 15. Now much older and more experienced, she has proven an effective leader, managing to keep the planet functioning even in the times of the Dark Imperium. Under her reign, the planet's forces have suppressed several attempted riots. *'Evangelija Atanasov:' Regarded as a promising officer in her youth, her fall to Chaos has made several officials vow to hunt her down in order to restore Jovk's honor. The slaaneshi warband she commands, the Ecstasy Of Fulmination, is suspected to be involved in the increasing cult activity in the Topolev sub-sector. Government Jovk is reigned by aristocracy, with influential members of military, economy, politics and science forming circles which preside over councils managing the planet's resources and their distribution. Joining one of these circles is only possible from a certain social rank. With the circle members' access to improved medicine and high-tech augmentations, they often hold their positions for over a century. While the ultimate decision in political affairs lies with the politicians of the Glavata, they often act in the interest of similarly high-ranked members from other parts of society. This kind of influencing is common knowledge and generally accepted as a simple matter of life. Military Jovk Siege Engineers The regiments raised on Jovk all draw from the strengths of their recruits, most often experience in hard, physical labor in the field of construction and the life in cramped, dark tunnels. Excavating tunnels and caverns while avoiding floods and cave-ins are considered a mandatory experience for any soldier and are usually provided through the recruits' background from Jovk's working class. Additionally, the sparse resource management on the planet has led to the necessity to keep machines and equipment in top shape even with only a minimum of support of the Tech Priests. These two elements combined make the Jovkians predestined combat and siege engineers, equipped with the simplistic, long-living weaponry manufactured on their homeworld. The defense is their strong point, with erecting large fortifications and entrapping their attackers within them being a specialty. Natively at home in tight surroundings and close quarters, flamers and shotguns are their preferred choice along with the Jovk Pattern Lascarbine. Tunel Volci Raised mainly from those families that have lived deep within the mountains for generations, some consider these individuals as abhumans. Pallid and with large eyes, these individuals are true natives to the tunnels and caves of their home and are consequently recruited put together with the veterans of the regular Jovk troops, trained and equipped as special operatives. With an emphasis on stealth and infiltration, they 'Tunnel Wolves' are aptly named. They scout enemy positions, infiltrate facilities and destroy equipment, assassinate important figures or steal documents. They are regarded with a mix of fear and reluctant respect, for while their skill is beyond doubt, their appearance and general demeanour mark them as outsiders. Quotes Category:Segmentum Obscurus Category:Civilised Worlds Category:Worlds